


Breviloquent

by Sokorra



Series: The "Quote" Prompt Series [5]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: F/M, Gen, Henry Charles Archer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-25
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2017-12-06 10:06:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 11,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/734450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokorra/pseuds/Sokorra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of drabbles and one-shots exploring the relationship of Erika Hernandez and Jonathan Archer.  Other characters and pairings may appear, but the focus will always be Erika & Jon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a series of drabbles, each its own chapter. They will be of various lengths and inspirations. All lyrics and qoutes used as inspiration belong to their original authors and are used only for inspiration. Any language used from the series belongs to the writers and is used to complete a scene.
> 
> Spoilers for "Home."
> 
> (Dedicated to Bee, who keeps me at me to write)

_And if we can't find where we belong_

_We'll have to make it on our own_

_Face all the pain and take it on_

_Because the only hope for me is you_

My Chemical Romance _The Only Hope For Me is You_

 

It felt good to talk to Erika. She hadn’t judged, except on calling on his lack of ability to see what was in front of him. She had always been good at that. But it had also been good to share the pain, to express what he had been feeling the last few months. To know there was one person who would hear what he was saying behind the words, to know what he couldn’t say because some pain was too deep to actually express.

She didn’t give him pity, or tell him he was wrong to feel those things. She just let him feel them and then told him it would get better in her own way. Usually by pointing out the good things that had happened since he had become Captain, the triumphs, the allies, the adventures that did not end up with someone dying.

She was his anchor, always had been. Kept him from swaying too far to one end or another. And as he pulled her closer to him, he couldn’t help but be glad she had hijacked his solo hike. He needed her, she reminded him that there was still good things to be seen about the universe, kept him from being too cynical about things. Kept him hoping.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Scars show us where we've been, they do not dictate where we're going” - David Rossi ‘Criminal Minds' 
> 
> Erika/Jon drabble, from the episode "Home".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS FOR HOME!

_“Scars show us where we've been, they do not dictate where we're going” - David Rossi ‘Criminal Minds'_

Jon was finally asleep, which allowed her to watch him without comment. She smiled softly down at him, his mouth slightly open, and slight noises coming from him as he breathed. It wasn’t quite snoring, not yet, but it had potential.

Her eyes glanced over the top half of his body that was still bare to her, taking in the small changes that had occurred since she last had this opportunity. Her smile faded as she took in the light scars and the few cuts that still remained form his most recent adventure.

She leaned down and kissed one on his shoulder, before laying her head down on his chest, listening to his heart beat. It was slow and steady, reminding her he had made it through, that while he was scared, he was still there with her and perhaps with her help, he could heal.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon has some concerns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for General Season Four

“What is it?” she asked him, noticing that he was wide awake, even though they both had to get up in the morning and attend meetings with the brass. Enterprise was about to be sent out again, Columbia was in its final stages before launch, and Starfleet wanted to dot its i’s before the next crisis arrived.

But somehow she suspected none of that was on his mind right now. She sat up in bed, leaned on her elbow and looked down at him. “Don’t even try and tell me its nothing. I know you too well.”

“My ship isn’t happy. The people.”

“What do you mean?” She didn't know his people as well as she knew her own. She was also hoping that he at least was not part of this unhappy crew.

“I’m not sure what went on while they were on Vulcan, but Trip’s been miserable the last few weeks, and I can tell T’Pol isn’t that much happier. Phlox is afraid to leave the ship, Hoshi’s been spending time with him trying to keep him company. I’m not sure what is wrong with Malcolm but he seems more sarcastic and pessimistic than usual. The only person besides me that appears to have any clue at being happy is Travis.”

“Well, I doubt you can do much about any of that except remind them that you are there if they need you.” Jon made his crew his family, he always had. For a while she knew he tried to put her in the role of younger sister, only to realize that she definitely was not his baby sister.

That role belonged to Hoshi anyway. She knew Hoshi and Trip, not so much the others. Hoshi was empathetic. Nothing confirmed, just a feeling Erika had. She was so attuned with the emotions of those around her, it just seemed a plausible explanation. So if the rest of her friends were depressed, there was a good chance Hoshi felt it. Erika could give no insights as to Trip’s depression, but given his sudden decision to go to Vulcan and then a rather quick decision to come back to Earth, she figured Jon was correct about something happening on Vulcan. But again, she didn’t think she could help in that case.

“You’re probably right. I just...” She waited for him to speak. She knew the last year had been hard on him, had shaken his belief in himself. “I feel like the last year I didn’t take care of them the way I should’ve...that I neglected my crew a bit.”

“Perhaps you did, but you can change that. They are still there, Jon. They are still following you out into the galaxy. If they were unable to forgive you your mistakes, they could have gotten off when you got back to earth.” She smiled and added a tint of humor to her next words. “Which of course would have helped me out alot.”


	4. Mascarade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night out dancing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompted by Bee for "Mascarade"

Masquerade -Drabble for Bee

Probably should have done better then this, but here you go. Maybe one day I’ll elaborate on this idea.

Erika had been in some strange places during her time as Captain of the Columbia, but the Starfleet masquerade to celebrate the signing of the charter might have beaten them all. She could spot some members of the brass as soon as she saw them, their costumes not that concealing. 

“Hello my lady,” came a familiar voice from behind her. She turned to find Jonathan smiling at her. He was dressed all in black with gold accents. His mask was a black cloth mask that wrapped around his head and a black stylized hat. His pants were tighter then she knew he usually wore them, and his shirt open in in the front to his mid chest, showcasing his neck and upper chest.

She quite approved. “Mr. Zorro,” she responded. She had dressed as an 18th century aristocrat, her hair done up in a crazy wig that Veronica had helped her with. Veronica herself was dressed like a ‘Crusty wrench’ as she had called it and was dancing with someone dressed as the Dread Pirate Roberts.

She took Jon’s hand and led him out to the balcony of the building, which was clear of people as the weather was cool, but would probably fill as the heat inside got unbearable.

She grabbed him and kissed him, glad to finally to be able to see Jon outside of briefing for the first time in two months. He clearly felt the same, as he drew her in grumbling only when her wig got in the way, and it quickly made its way off her head. She’d deal with Veronica’s wrath later.

Much later if she could help it.


	5. Wedding Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first step into the abyss...my first Jorika Drabble

The moment she entered the room he felt like his heart stopped. He could barely hear the music, or the whispers as people talked about how beautiful she looked, how shell shocked he appeared. Nothing mattered but her. Their eyes locked, and her face broke out into a large grin, almost as she had expected to look at his spot and find him missing.

Trip, grinning like a fool, nudged him, reminding him that he had to step forward and take her hand. She held out her hand and he took it, never loosing eye contact.

It had taken them so long to get to this spot. Not the ceremony itself that had taken Trip and T’pol approximately 2.47 weeks according to T’pol to put together. He figured most of the touches were Trip, and the efficiency was T’Pol’s contribution. They were in a converted barn, with honey colored hardwood floors and walls, with large nearly floor to ceiling windows overlooking a river. Everything was decorated in forest green and dark apple red. While the ceremony was one that had been used for centuries on earth, they hadn’t wanted to go completely traditional. There was no white, no pinks or blushes.

Her gown was a deep red, with a sweetheart neck and not much adornment. It was simple, just like Erika preferred it. They had kept those in attendance to a minimum; only thirty people were there, mostly family and their close friends who made up their senior staffs.

As the Admiral started to go into how proud he was to be able to oversee the ceremony, Jon continued to take Erika in; amazed he finally was here with her.

And he nearly swore when he heard the alert that meant that they were wanted back on their ships. Everyone started to get ready to leave when he stopped Erika and the Admiral.

“I’m not waiting any more. Things keep happening to keep this happening. Sir, do you think you can do an abbreviated version?” The Admiral smiled, knowing the feeling, and with a spare look at his own wife, who sat in the back next to T’Pol and announced they would be doing the ceremony.

“Do the two of you promise to keep each sane, healthy and whole to the best of your abilities?” they both affirmed that they would. “Well, by the power invested in me by the United Earth Government, I pronounce you married.” He smiled at the two as they kissed, with no need for permission. It lasted only a few moments, and they shared a goofy grin afterwards. And then, as they knew they had to, they shifted into Captain Archer and Hernandez and started to prepare their crews to return to their ships.

He could only hope this was a false alarm, and he and Erika could return to this retreat as they had planned.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To view the dress I was thinking of for Erika please go here: http://www.yarddress.net/images/uploads/yard/ALE50160.jpg


	6. Chapter 6

Erika groaned as she shut the door to her apartment. It had been a long day of meeting after meeting. As senior Captain of the fleet she had been expected to attend each and every one of the meetings and come up with some kind of game plan for the next year as far as Starfleet goals.

She sat her carry bag on the table located by the door for that exact purpose and silently walked towards the living area. It was late and she tried to be quiet. However, when she reached the living room she stopped cold, her exhaustion forgotten for a few minutes.

It was a disaster. Toys were all over the place, And in the dim light she could see pink fingerprints along the one wall, mixed with one green palm print. She hopped that was the washable ink she had purchased because she really didn’t want to repaint the walls. The sight that enthralled her the most was the sight of her husband laying on the couch, sound asleep, and their two year old daughter likewise asleep on his chest, her head resting just below his chin. 

She quietly snuck over to the closet and got out the camera and took a picture. This was too adorable not to capture. It didn’t help that apparently Sarina had taken the opportunity to paint her father’s face.

Trip was going to get an interesting email in the morning.


	7. Vacations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon & Erika take a vacation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some liberties with the prompt I was given. The liberty I took was to ignore the prompt (where in one of them was protecting the other, which implies a little angst) and write some fluff in order to regain balance after Spock’s drabble. Inspired by Josh/Donna of The West Wing ; ) Those of you who have seen TWW might recognize the lines I borrowed. (Transition, Season 7.20 for those wondering where)

For the first time in months, Jon was basically thoughtless. There were no thoughts on crew rotations, no thoughts on how Silik was going to screw up his good day this week, no thoughts on how to get Gardner to not fire him this time around. In fact, those thoughts were safely Trip & T’pol’s duty this week. 

Instead he was here, lying in the sun, the sound of water softly hitting the beach a few feet away filling the air. Beside him he knew, should he open his eyes, he would find a very beautiful woman who was also thankfully turning on the Captain mind for the vacation one.

“This was a good idea.” He heard her mummer as she sighed enjoying the sunlight. “A very good idea.”

“There’s tiramisu waiting for us up in the cryo-unit.” Jon said, smiling. “Amongst other things.”

“Very Very Good idea.”

“It was Malcolm’s idea, actually. The getting away part. The inviting you part was my idea. I don’t want to think about Malcolm wanting to whisk you away.”

“He told you to whisk away?”

“No, he was talking about how he was hopping on leave to take his girlfriend off to a private beach he had heard about, let the cares of the world drift away for a few days. It sounded like a good idea, so I booked a weekend here.”

“Remind me to send Malcolm a thank you note,” Erika joked. She reached over and placed a hand on one of Jon’s arm, getting him to open his eyes to meet her. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” he responded, moving so he could kiss her.


	8. Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mornings were her favorite time of Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a half finished ficlet I found in my folders the other day and I decided to post it as is. Maybe one day I'll continue it and make it a fic all of its own. For now, however, its just a addition to Breviloquent.
> 
> Also I might have written this with two pairings in mind.

It was the early mornings that she really loved. She would wake up before dawn, her internal clock more efficient than the old alarm clock he kept beside the bed that was set for an early hour yet always seemed to go off at least ten minutes late. But she enjoyed those ten or so minutes when he was dead to the world and she could watch him.

He slept on his back, one hand flung above his head as if he was going to put it under his head but he fell asleep before he got there. His other arm would either be resting on his stomach, which depending on the season was either bare or clad in a old nearly threadbare tshirt, or reaching for her.

She kind of liked the idea that he reached for her when he was unconscious. It made her feel better about the amount of need she had for his touch.

She was a stomach sleeper, and she usually awoke to find her face facing him, her arms under her pillow, and one sock clad foot touching his ankle. They weren’t big cuddlers, too much used to their own company in bed, but they liked having that connection.

He woke up slowly, unlike her. She woke up all at once like someone had poured cold water on her. He had often mentioned being envious of her ability to go from sound sleep to full alertness in moments, while he stumbled his way into being awake.

First he’d shift onto his side, facing her, but still asleep. He moved a lot in those minutes he was waking up, which amused her because once he was asleep he never moved. His best friend had once called it the sleep of the dead and said in college they had thought he might have died because he was so still.

But he fought awakening.

Eventually his green eyes would open looking at her in what she could tell was a blurred visual.

“Good Morning,” she said, receiving only a smile in response. He wouldn’t speak until he had his coffee, or at least another five or ten minutes of half sleep half alertness. She simply continued to smile and got out of bed, trodding off to collect the coffee. They always set the machine to brew them a cup at the same time every morning, so they wouldn’t forget. Most of the time it worked, although one day they awoke to find cold coffee because they forgot to change the time.

Carrying the ceramic mugs she walked back into their room, leaning against the doorway and smiling as she saw him spread out on his stomach, moaning into his pillow. The alarm finally went off, and she bit back a laugh at the gesture he made towards it.

“Coffee,” she stated, placing his mug on the stand before taking a sip of her own. “Drink up so you can actually attend your meetings today.”

“If I call in sick, do you think they’ll mind?” He mumbled into the pillow.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure they will figure out that you are faking it,” she said with a laugh. “They know you too well. You should have chosen a council less familiar with you.”

“You are mocking me. Its too early to be mocked.”

“Never,” She replied. “And what kind of wife would I be if I didn’t mock you at least some of the time. Isn’t that half the reason you married me.”

“I’m pretty sure it was your legs,” he replied, turning over to lay on his back. “Don’t you have meetings today?”

“I do. And I intend on actually being in them. On time for once. I was never late before I met you.”

“Good to know I’ve been some kind of influence.”

“A bad one.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” He sighed sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “Right, meetings. Why did I take this job in the first place?”

“Hope for a better future?”

“You always have an answer.”

“Another reason you married me.” He smiled at that and took his mug, nearly inhaling the warm (thankfully not too hot) liquid inside it before putting it on the stand again.

He stood up and made his way to the bathroom for a shower, stopping to pick up the suit she held up , pulling her close for a kiss before going on his way.

Yes, mornings were some of her favorite times.

~*~

By lunch she really wish she was back in their morning, alone with him and none of the people she was currently trying to wrangle into being productive. She half wondered if children were this problematic. They had discussed the idea in passing, although at various times each one of them was more or less in favor. After the miscarriage, he was more against it, fearing for her health, and going through that experience again. She too had been reluctant at first, but she was starting to warm up to the idea again.

Although she sometimes wondered about it considering she could barely get a bunch of adults to do what needed to be done, let alone a child.

She was glad to escape the confines of the Administration building, walking towards the large Gardens which surrounded the compound. If you walked far enough you could almost forget you were in the middle of a bustling city, not minutes from the annoyances work had given you. Instead you were in the middle of flowers, trees and various other plant forms from all over. It was the pride of the city, and she never argued with that.

There was a bench in the middle of the gardens, one that wrapped around the base of a large oak tree. It was early fall so it was shaded by red and yellow leaves. He was waiting for her there, a bagged lunch sitting beside him. He looked as worn out as she felt.

“Tough day,” she asked, sitting next to him.

“Bureaucrats.” he muttered, almost as if it was a curse. “I swear their favorite past time is finding ways to create red tape, not simplify things.”

“Anything I can do to help?” She knew he tended to stress about things, especially now that he was in a position of actual power, something he only took because he felt he needed to. 

“Not unless you know a polite way to tell someone to go to hell.”


	9. August 22 prompt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon updates his wife on the goings on at Starfleet

“I’d give almost anything for the chance to be together one more time.”   
Ezri ‘Deep Space Nine’

Jon looked out the window and stared out at the stars that filled the back landscape - or was it spacescape? - that was seen beyond the station. He was 123 today, and it seemed fitting to be in space to celebrate. However, this moment was not for celebrating his life.

“Hello, Rike,” He said, his voice echoing in the empty station. IT was still early, and only the skeleton night crew were out and about. “Did you hear about the new ship?” He didn’t know why he pretended she could hear him, or hear what was going on Earth. She had been missing for over 70 years now. Most people already considered her dead.

His heart ached for her. It was getting better. He didn’t think about her loss all the time anymore. Sometimes he could go a few days before the awareness would slam into him like a two-ton truck. 

“They changed the numbers...NCC now. But its still Enterprise. I don’t think I’m going to make it to see it though. Maybe Bronwyn will. I’ve seen the designs.” He could almost feel her next to him, rolling her eyes at his excitement.

He missed her. It wasn’t the same without her, and this was the closest he would get to her.

“They want to give it to Pike. And Gwendolyne Chapel. She reminds me a bit of you. Although she doesn’t have your sense of humor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gwen Chapel, for those of you wondering, is Number One from the pilot of TOS. I've seen people make her Christine's older sister, or a cousin, in fanfic and I liked the idea. She is of course played by Majel Barett as well.
> 
> Bronwyn is Jon and Erika's granddaughter.


	10. April 2014 Qoutes

**“It’s not a date. It’s a fact finding mission to see if he deserves a date.”**   
_Chloe Sullivan ‘Smallville’ (4/20)_

 

“So you finally agreed to a date,” Veronica stated as she flipped the page of her magazine, comfortably lounging on her bed.  Erika paused in her primping to give her best friend a look.

 

“No, I agreed to a group outing.  Its not a date.  More of an...investigation into whether a date is feasible.”

 

“I call bullshit on that one, Rike.  Its a date.  Otherwise why would you spend time in front of a mirror making sure your appearance mets dress standards.  You are never disheveled, you don’t need primp time.”

 

“Shut up.”

  
“Ah, the supportive statement of those who have lost the argument,” Veronica said with a smile.  “Archer is going to be here any moment.  You look fine.”

* * *

 

**“I’m sorry, I’m not coming back with you. You must be able to see it? None of us should be here.”**

_Cadno ‘Pobol y Cwm (4/12)_

 

"I'm not going back to Earth."  Ezri turned from the console to look at her companion, surprised. "I gave my crew the option, and most of us have decided to stay here."

 

"Why?" Ezri asked, clasping her hands behind her back.

 

"We don't belong here.  In this time."  THe older woman sighed, and looked out the window at the planet below.  "IF we go back we will only find everything we knew gone.  Family.  Friends.  Even landmarks."  She shook her head.  "Its best we stay here where there are no memories to haunt us."

 

"You mean Jon?" Ezri knew of the Admiral from before.  A figure in a history book.  Founder of the Academy, One of the Federation's first presidents.  There were still parts of the Academy Campus that were named after Archer and his chosen crew.  

 

The Travis Mayweather Flight Center, where new cadets got their first lessons at learning how to pilot larger craft.

 

The Hoshi Sato Interspecies Linguistic Library, which had texts from nearly every species that the Federation had come across, and a program for translating them into other Federation languages.

 

The Surek Diplomacy Program had only recently been renamed.  The elite program for those looking to become Captains or Ambassadors was originally named after T'Pol of Vulcan.

 

The Jonathan Archer Administration Building Complex.

 

"Personally, yes."  Ezri was brought out of her thoughts as her companion responded.  "But I am not alone in not wanting to see Earth without a loved one.  I'm just the most accessible example.  We shall do fine here.  Who knows," She joked, "Perhaps we will develop a way to return to our time. "

 

"Perhaps, Ezri repeated, though they both knew that would be unlikely. Like it or not, Columbia was stuck in the future.

* * *

**“Look at this, the whole world’s up here.”**

_Frances ‘The Deep’ (4/13)_

 

There was one advantage to the EMP crisis, Jon thought.  There wasn’t any light pollution.  Here he was, standing on the roof of the Starfleet Administration offices, with his wife by his side and they could see the stars they loved so much.

 

He had decided that he needed to get her away from the crisis center for a while.  Erika had been put in charge of communications between the different centers around the world, and he didn’t think she had slept more than a few hours at any point.  She was starting to get that look in her eye that told him the stress and the exhaustion were building up to a point of not being able to handle it.

 

So he pulled her away, handed the controls over to her deputy for a few hours and brought her up here. He had laid a blanket down over the hard floor of the roof, brought a pillow and a lunch basket and made her eat, drink something and then take a nap.

 

He knew she’d probably wake up soon. Too many things to do to stay asleep for long, but at the moment he could pretend nothing was wrong.  That they were just having a romantic night up on the roof of the building.

 

He just wished that was true.

* * *

**"Endings are never easy. I always build them up so much in my head they can't possibly live up to my expectations, and I just end up disappointed.”**

_JD ‘Scrubs’ (4/09)_

 

Erika settled down onto the porch step beside her daughter, not saying a word as the girl, almost woman now, cried silently.  She knew nothing she could say would make her feel any better, but she hoped by being there Serena would get some comfort.

 

"I built it up in my head, didn't I?"  Serena finally stated.  "The whole series of events were going to be a epic adventure, and I planned it all out and failed to see that I hadn't even gotten there yet.,"

 

"Next year you can try again."

 

"I'll be older than most of my classmates.  And everyone will know I failed.  I'm the daughter of the two most famous Captains of StarFleet and I failed my entrance exams."

 

"Its not that big of a deal, little one.   Your father failed many a test, I did too.  All that matters is that you don't give up, that you don't let that dream of yours die.  Your father and I are proud of you for trying."

 

"So you aren't embarrassed that I didn't get selected?"

 

"No, of course not.  Hell, if I had my way you and HC would have peaceful earth bound jobs and be perfectly happy.  But you inherited wanderlust from your father and I and you can't really fight that. I know you'll make it,  but even if you don't, your father and I would never be disappointed in you for that.  Only if you quit on your dreams."

  



	11. May 2014 Prompts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May 2014 Prompts
> 
> 1\. Erika misses Jon  
> 2\. Jon introduces T'Pol to Star Wars

**“Don’t try to be a great man; just be a man, and let history make it’s own judgments.”**

_Riker/Cochrane ‘First Contact’_

(5/3)

 

Erika held the padd close to her chest as Ezri left the room.  She couldn't bring herself to read its contents just yet.  To learn about the life Jon led after she was gone.

Did He marry?  Did he find someone else?  She both hoped so and dreaded finding out.  Did he ever form that Academy?  There were so many things he could have done, and she wish she had been there for it all.

It was so hard to think about.  The idea that she was in the future, technically outliving the love of her life.  That she had missed the rest of his.  That he wasn't out there somewhere, thinking of her as she was thinking of him.  

She put it down on the table in front of her, and finally pressed the button, allowing the information to load to tell her what history had to say about Jon, herself.  She felt a sense of pride and sadness fill her as she read about his accomplishments.  Pride that he had done so much, sadness that it looked like he hadn't found someone else to be his partner in life.

Had he still thought of her through all those years?  Wondered where she had gone?  According to the records he had resisted calling the Columbia lost with all hands.  Had wanted to search for more years, but was overruled.

She could see how many of the people on this ship had come to respect Jon as a historical figure, but she couldn't help but think of the good man she called her husband, who she still felt connected to even though he was long gone.

She could only hope that the pain that came with that thought would diminish over time.

 

* * *

 

 

**"How shit an assassin do you have to be when you miss by 8000 miles"**

_Russell Howard 'Good News'_

(5/10)

“These stormtroopers are meant to be trained fighters?”  T’Pol tilted her head looking at the screen, her face in a barely there look of confusion.  Only those who knew her well could see it.

“Supposedly,”  Jon replied, popping more popcorn into his mouth.  “Possibly clones of a great bounty hunter, if you care to watch the prequels.  Some don’t.”

“Apparently aim is not an inherited trait, then.”  She raised a brow at the bowl when Jon held it up to see if she wanted any.  He grinned and put it down, knowing T’Pol hated popcorn.  She hated the feel of the kernels getting stuck in her teeth.  Maybe next time he spoke to Erika he’d ask her to pick up some puffed corn on her way to meet with them with Columbia.

“No.”

“How is the Imperial forces so powerful when their fighters do not have the advantage.  The Rebel armies have dedicated personnel - their reasoning is more personal, and they appear to be better at actually hitting a target.  

“Honestly?  I don’t know - I think its just movie magic. The premise of the film is the fight between the good guys and the bad guys, and if the bad guys don’t have power, then why are we fighting them?”

“I don’t know why they are fighting them now.”

“I knew we shouldn’t have started in the middle.”

 

 


	12. June 2014 Prompts Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon and AG argue, Jon and Erika make things more official, Jon wakes up on the Mountain, and Bronwyn finds her Nana's diary.

**“This is a pretty good example of why we get nothing done.”**

_Josh ‘The West Wing’ (6/02)_

 

Jon grumbled as he wrote his report, and AG just flipped a page in a old paper magazine he had found that still published an annual paper edition.  It was on aeronautic history, and he seemed enthralled except for the periodic snorts of laughter.

"It's not funny."

"It is too.  And I had nothing to do with it this time.  Only you could find a way to make yourself that ridiculous in front of the woman you love."

"One day, AG, you will know what it is like to be embarrassed in front of the woman you love, and I hope that unlike Erika, she actually laughs."

AG Rolled his eyes before throwing a ration rapper at Jon's head. Jon growled in frustration before throwing it back at AG.

When Erika walked in a few minutes later, with the intent of helping Jon finished his report to make up for the fact that she had put him in an embarrassing position she found the two of them in a mock paper battle.

"Oh, yes.  You two get a lot done here don't you?"

 

* * *

 

 

 

**“So there we were, together but not together...and as always... not knowing what the hell we were doing.”**

_JD ‘Scrubs’ (6/4)_

 

“I think we need to make this official,”  Jon stated as he played with his salad.  He didn’t particularly care for salads, but Phlox was adamant that he try to eat at least once a week.  

“What official?”  Erika asked, her attention divided between her food (and Jon was envious of that burger), Jon and the datapad in front of her showing the outfitting Columbia was getting before disembarking again.

“Us.”

“We weren’t already?”

“We haven’t told anyone.  As far as anyone else knows, we are just old friends.”

“We are old friends.”

“But we are more.  And I’d like to be able to say that out loud, reference you as my...other, and not feel like I’m breaking some kind of pact we made.”

“Might I remind you, my darling other,” Erika said with a smile and a mocking tone to her voice, “You were the one who said “What happens on the mountain..”

“Well, I’m revoking that rule.”

“Fine,”

“Okay, then.”

“But really, other?  Makes me sound like I’m some sort of fungus growing on your side.”

“Well, that’s one way to look at it.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

**“I’m happy when I’m here, I like waking up and seeing your face.”**

_Johnny Cash ‘Walk The Line’ (6/12)_

It was early morning, the sun wasn’t even fully up yet.  However, Jon Archer was wide awake, enjoying the crisp air of the mountain, as well as the warmth of the body next to him.  A body that had been absent from him for much too long.

He softly moved her hair out of her face, not wanting to wake her but attempting to see her face.  It seemed like it had been forever since he had the opportunity.  They had broken up not too long before he left on Enterprise to Qronos, so it had been almost five years since he last had a chance to watch Erika sleep.

He still loved her. That was something that had never been in dispute.  But he had forgotten how much it meant to have her there, to have her in his corner.  To have her there to call him on his shit when he needed it.

He missed her still, and she was right next to him.  He knew he should just consider it an aberration.  Erika might still be the love of his life, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t moved on herself.  HOwever, there was something in him that hoped this was a new start for them.  That this would end up being the last time they were apart...at least figuratively.  He knew they would be separated, and that at best it would be long distance except for a few passings in the middle of space and the occasional trip back home.

She shifted into him, and he pulled their thermal blankets close to her shoulders.  It was a bit chilly this high up.

He hoped this wouldn’t be the last time he got to see the morning with her.  

* * *

 

 

**“When I was reading her diary I found myself desperately wanting to follow in her footsteps.”**

_Elizabeth Thatcher ‘When Calls the Heart’ (6/14)_

Bronwyn looked through the old hardback journal. She was surprised to find that her grandmother had kept one. In this day and age, when everything was electronic, it was rare for someone to write in paper bound books. There was of course a selection of people who prefer a less computer based existence that used paper on a regular basis, but even among those electronic journal keeping was the norm.

But Erika had kept a paper journal. It was probably one of the few accounts of the early NX days that survived the collapse of the grid after the Romulans sent a strong EMP pulse that had taken out the electrical units, wiping the ones that were plugged in and being used that the time. They were still trying to figure out how that worked years later. Most of the logs and mission reports from the NX-01 and NX-02 prior to 2158 were gone.

She opened the book, fascinated by the creak the binding made. Her grandmother had neat, but bold handwriting, and she filled the page. It was part text, part doodles, the occasional insert. It was filled with adventures, and it made Bronwyn wish she had been on one of those voyages, seeking the unknown. But it seemed she would not be following her in grandmother's footsteps, as her abilities as a Station Captain were in more demand. She was on Starbase 30, not really that far out from Earth itself.

She would photo archive the book and send it to Teddy back on Earth. To have the adventures recorded for the future.

 

 

Bronwyn 


	13. June 2014 Prompts Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malcolm comes to stop his friend from going down the deep end, Erika and Jon break up, and HC overhears his parents fighting.

**“That voice he heard, the one that spoke to him and drove him. It’s not a voice most of us ever hear. He was mad to listen to it. Mad to believe he could ever find her alive.**

_”Frances ‘The Deep’ (6/26)_

 

Malcolm sighed as he entered Jon's office, finding the man going back and forth between several pads. It didn't take a lot of observation to know he was still at it, still trying to find his wife. Despite the fact that Starfleet had discontinued its official search and rescue outfit for Columbia, Jon still went forth with it, using private freight companies.

When Hoshi had called him and asked him to do something he had said yes. Partially because he couldn't say no to Hoshi no matter how hard he tried, and also because he hated to see Jon like this.

"You need to stop Jon."

"She's still out there."

"But you are here, and she's likely dead. And you have children you need to care for."

"They deserve their mother. She..."

"I know. But they are worried about you, worried enough that they asked Hoshi, who in turn called me." And Jon knew how hard it was for Hoshi to call Malcolm, especially after she left him to marry her husband. The two of them still were amicable when they came across each other, but it took a lot to get them to call the other without it being the cause of fate or the need of a good friend.

"They talked to Hoshi?"

"Yeah. It seems they don't want to loose their father right after losing their mother."

"I...Don't know what to do."

"I know." Malcolm laid a hand on his shoulder. "But perhaps not focusing on a dead end would help."

 

 

* * *

 

 

**“You wanna leave, then leave - I don’t care anymore.”**

_Sarah ‘ER’ (6/27)_

 

"Just go." She said not even looking at him. There was a part of her that agreed that this seemed the only way, but a greater part of her felt he hadn't even tried to find another option. At least fought to keep what they had.

But she knew how important being Captain was to him, and she wasn't about to destroy his dream to fly a ship with his father’s engine  just to keep him with her. So she let him slip through the door and leave, not saying a word.

It was only when Veronica arrived later that she allowed herself to cry.

 

* * *

 

 

**“Oh shut up, honest to God, do you ever get tired of the sound of your own voice?”**

_Donna ‘The West Wing’(6/29)_

 

It wasn’t often that his parents fought.  They had disagreements, sure.  He could remember quite a few debates over the dinner table over legislation pending in the council, or a new protocol Starfleet was considering.  But it was rare for an all out fight.

Perhaps it was because they had both been trained by Starfleet to work in diplomatic situations, trained to keep it even-keeled. They kept themselves calm even when they were really at odds.  But sometimes that wasn’t enough, and it was usually his dad who broke first.  His mother had always had the cooler temperament of the two.

He wasn’t even sure what they were fighting about this time.  It had something to do with Serena and Starfleet.  He couldn’t even hear the words, just the volume and the tone.  Whatever it was, neither seemed to be backing down.

He put on his headphones and drowned them out, feeling uncomfortable at the idea of his parents not getting along.


	14. July 2014 Prompts Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1\. HC tries to play sick  
> 2\. Jon gets the message that the Columbia went missing  
> 3\. Jon's thoughts after the Expense

**“You know what? I’m not gonna do it. I’m out. I am done. I’m gonna tell him that I’m sick. I’m gonna tell him I have food poisoning. No, you’re right. I look too good to be sick.”**

Will ‘About A Boy’ 

(7/1)

 

“HC, it's time to go to school,” Erika called up to her ten year old son.  She shifted through his backpack, making sure all the padds were there, as well as his lunch.  HC had taken to liking having her make him a peanut and butter sandwich.  Jon used to whine about how HC wouldn’t let him make the sandwiches because ‘Mommy makes it better.’.  She wasn’t worried.  Eventually he’d tired of the sandwiches, and that was about all she could really count on making without something going wrong.

She had never been interested in cooking, and it showed.

None the less, her son was still not downstairs, and the shuttle that picked up kids in the area was set to arrive in just a few minutes.  She walked up the stairs and down the hall to his room to find him still in his PJs, wrapped up in a blanket and trying to look sad and sickly.

She saw though it, knew that he wasn’t at all sick.  He had been running around just a half hour ago.  But since HC rarely tried to stay home from school, wanting to go even when he had a 102 fever and Jon and she had ended up taking him to the hospital.  He loved school.

“Are you not feeling well?”

“No Mama.”  He had taken to calling her Mama lately instead of Mom, she wasn’t sure why.   She could feel herself crumbling, knowing that she’d probably let him stay.

“Let me feel your head,”

“It's all clammy.”  She felt his head and it was fine, but she could tell he had doused his head with water as it was a little wet.  She bit her lip, trying not to laugh at her son's attempts to play sick.

“You’re right it is.  I guess you’ll have to stay home and help me with my reports.”

She did laugh when he started frowning at the idea of helping her.

 

* * *

 

 

**You have a listen to that, Captain, but brace yourself before you do.”**

_ Raymond ‘The Deep’ _

(7/3)

 

"Captain,"  Jon looked up from his padd to see Hoshi standing before him, looking rather like she had to impact some bad news.  As their communications officer she often was the first to know any bad news that came their way, with a fe exceptions.  He wondered what the issue was today.  "There is a message for you, from Admiral Gardner.  I patched it to your ready-room."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."  He  got out of his chair and walked over to his office.  Perhaps Hoshi was sad for some other reason, though he knew nothing happening that would cause her to look that sad.  But then everyone had sad days, didn't they.  Perhaps he was overly focusing on the facial expressions.  Maybe she was just having a bad day.

He went and turned on the monitor as the doorway slide shut behind him.

"Admiral," He greeted.  "How can I help you today."

"Jon," the Admiral started, clearly doing away with rank and title this once.  "Its the Columbia."  Jon's heart sank and he sat up straighter.  "They've gone missing."

"Where do you want us?"  He refused to think about what that meant.  That Erika...no.  

"We found debris, Jon."  And with that all the denial through out the window.  "There will be a search team of course, but it doesn't look good."

"We will join them.  I just need the coordinates."

"I will send them, but I just want you to know you have our sympathies if this does not go well."  They were already calling her dead.  He couldn't think of that, couldn't even consider it.

Erika was supposed to outlive him, damn it.  She was supposed to outlive him and then tell silly stories to reporters who came to interview Archer's widow before telling her own heroic stories. 

She wasn't supposed to die.

 

* * *

 

 

**“Why are you always negative? Everyone goes through a rough patch. It’s the way you deal with it that matters.”**

_ Angela ‘Pobol y Cwm’ _

(07/06)

He packed his bag with as much anger as one could pack a bag.  It rolled off him in waves that he could almost picture.  Anger at Starfleet, at Soval, but also at himself.

He felt like he had failed. He had managed to save the planet, but at what cost?  How did he face those parents of the 27 people who never came back from the expanse.  How does he face his friends and colleagues after some of the crimes he had committed all in the name of saving Earth?

Thinking of what Erika would think of him leaving a group of people stranded in the middle of the expanse and stealing their warp coils made him glad she had only seen him once outside the meeting rooms.  

He didn’t need to see the look on her face.  He could imagine it all to well.

 

* * *

 

 

 


	15. July Prompts 2014 - Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1\. HC gets ready for a school dance  
> 2\. Erika makes sure Jon takes a rest  
> 3\. Erika and Jon keep each other sane

**“You look very dashing, darling. Any girl would be lucky to dance with you.”**

_ Fiona ‘About A Boy’ _

(7/8)

 

"How do I look?"  Erika peered over her pad to see her son standing before her, dressed up for the end of the year school dance.  It wasn't really a prom, he was too young for that, but it was a dance held for the younger grades.

"Handsome, just like your father."  She put down her padd, and stood.  Walking over to him, she tried to keep back the tears because they irritated her to have them and she knew HC wouldn't appreciate his mother crying over the fact that her son was 15 and already looking so grown up.  "Any girl is going to be lucky to have a dance with you tonight."

HC blushed.  "All I really want is a dance with one girl."

"Oh?"  Erika teased.  "And who might this young lady be?"

"Amy Woodhouse."

"Ah, your Andorian partner."  Her son had been inspired by Soval and herself to take up foreign languages.  Much to Shran's pleasure, he seemed to have a knack for Andorian.  She knew for a fact that Shran was considering giving HC a placard with an ancient Andorian poem for his 18th birthday to celebrate becoming an adult. Apparently it was an old rite on Andoria, though it had fallen out of practice.  But that was still years away.

A part of her wished it was a bit longer.

"She said she would save a dance for me, but she really wants to go with T'Lor."  He ran a hand through his hair, and for a moment she was taken back to when she had just started flight school and met Jonathan Archer.

She wondered if HC knew how much he was like his father.

 

* * *

 

 

**“You have a deputy who is frankly a lot more intelligent than you. Leave it to him.”**

_ Jed ‘The West Wing’ _

(7/20)

 

"What are you doing?"  Erika asked as she walked into her husband's office.  He was still looking down at his padd when he answered.

"I have a few more things to do."

"Really? I was under the good impression that you were done with the day's work, and are now just nitpicking at legislation that won't be before the council till Wednesday so you can really look at it again tomorrow.  Or, you know, let the person you hired to look over legislation for loopholes that can be exploited do her job. She's better at it then you are.  That's why you hired her."

Jon sighed.  "Fine."  He tossed the padd onto the pile.  "If my lady insists."  She rolled her eyes at that.  He knew it annoyed her, and he was annoyed by her making him leave work thus he would annoy her in return.

"She does.  She thinks the President of the Federation should at least get some sleep at some point. Humans need that, you know.  Most species do in fact, although I'm not entirely sure about Soval."

* * *

 

 

**“It took you five hours last time you tried to explain it.”**

_ Jonathan Hays ‘Earth Star Voyager’ _

_ (7/26) _

“The Director wants to come over to explain the energy plan again,”  Jon stated as he sat down in their kitchen.  She had been the first one home, therefore had already started making the meal.  Mostly sandwiches and reheated soup as neither of them were very energetic at the moment.  

“Didn’t it take her 3 hours to explain it the last time?”

“Five.  We took a break after three because our brains were going to scramble.  the woman does not know how to summarize.  Or for that matter stick to the important parts and not give us the minutia that will not be important to us.  A whole hour on the mechanical layout of the energy turbines they want to improve.  Do you know what they want to do?”  She shrugged, amused.  “They need to replace the little plastic piece that goes over the motor.  Yet it required an hour of going over the technical manuals.”  He sighed and leaned his head against his arms on the counter as she dished out the dumpling soup.  “I swear the only people not asleep were the engineers, and even they were struggling.

“Maybe it will be shorter this time.”  She plated the grilled sandwiches and sat across from him.  “You’ll live through it.”

“I’ll have to.  Gardner is making me key representative.”


	16. December 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \- Erika finds Jon & AG up to no good.  
> \- AG finds Erika has been up to no good.

**"Well, not we, he. I just wanna make that clear."**

_ Laurie 'About A Boy _

(12/5)

 

Erika walked around the corner and spotted an agitated Jon and a cool-as-a-cucumber AG sitting in the holding cell.  She put her hands on her hips and tried to affect a reprimanding tone.

“What did you two do this time.”

“ _ He _ did it.  I was just an innocent bystander,” Jon said, looking relieved she had actually come to get them.  After all, she had threatened the last time that it was  to be the last time she came to get them out of the holding cell.  Although, to be fair, that time they had been drunk and decided to serenade the Admiral’s wife at 3 in the morning.  Neither the Admiral, his wife or Erika had been amused by the wake-up call.

“Alright,” she said with a raised eyebrow, not quite believing him.  “AG, what did  _ you  _ do.”  AG simply grinned.

“Just a little artwork, Rike.”

“Artwork.”

“Yes.”

“And what was the canvas.”

“Garner’s house.”  Jon supplied.  “I wasn’t aware that this hadn’t been asked by Garner.  I thought I was helping out.”

“You were helping out, Jon.  The man has appalling taste.  We were doing a community service by repainting that house.”

“...What did you paint it.”

“Starfleet colors of course.”

“You painted his brick house blue.”

“With stripes of his department.”

“Blue and Red.  You painted his house Blue with red stripes, did I get that right.”

“Yes, doesn’t it sound wonderful.”  

“No.”  She turned to Jon.  “Just how long did it take you to figure out you weren’t supposed to be painting his house Blue and red  _ Stripes _ , Jon.”  The older man had the decency to look embarrassed.

“Longer than it should have.  But Garner’s an odd ball. I just assumed he was being overly Patriotic.”

Erika face-palmed, turned around and walked out of the room.

 

* * *

 

 

**“You know what? You should go. I’m gettin’ an urge to strike another superior asshole.”** _ Starbuck ‘ Battlestar Galactica’ _

_ (12/19) _

She groaned as familiar shoes entered her view.  “So I hear,” came an equally familar voice, “That you punched your CO.”

“He was being an asshole, AG.”

“Oh, I believe you.  I’m just wondering if you took pictures.”

“Oh, yes.  I took lots of pictures with my hand that was in the process of meeting his face.  SO many pictures.”

“On the bright side, you aren’t being dismissed, though I really wish there had been pictures.”

“Not dismissed?”  She raised her head, her embarrassment at losing her temper at war with her curiousity.  How?”

“Apparently your little spat with McPherson was witnessed by a higher up.  He decided to rule it justifiable violence but you’ll still have to suffer some penalties.”  He fell down onto the bed beside her.  “Guess who has to go train the kiddies with me.”

She groaned and put her head back down on her hands.  


	17. August 2014 Prompts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> \- Erika worries about Jon  
> \- Jon updates Erika on the 1701  
> \- Everything is Jon's fault.

**“Seen any good movies while I was gone?”**

_ Jonathan Archer ‘Enterprise’ _

_ (8/6) _

 

She somehow managed to answer, managing to keep it vague.  The world had held its breath, but no more than she.  And there had been times she had felt a little guilty about the reason she was.  Jon was out there, protecting the planet they both loved, and yet all she could think was how much she wanted him back home, back where it was (moderately) more safe.

But she couldn’t have kept him here anymore then he could have kept her here if she had been in his position.  It was one of the things that they had in common. They would have both fought as much as possible to protect Earth, to protect home.

She was relieved he had managed to save the planet, but more relieved that he had saved the planet and came home in one piece.  At least as far as she could tell.  Something was off, something that made her sad, but she couldn’t quite say what it was.

Maybe it was time for someone to take care of the Captain for once.

 

* * *

 

 

**“I’d give almost anything for the chance to be together one more time.”**

_Ezri ‘Deep Space Nine’_

_ (8/22) _

Jon looked out the window and stared out at the stars that filled the back landscape - or was it spacescape? - that was seen beyond the station.  He was 123 today, and it seemed fitting to be in space to celebrate.  However, this moment was not for celebrating his life.

“Hello, Rike,” He said, his voice echoing in the empty station.  It was still early, and only the skeleton night crew were out and about.  “Did you hear about the new ship?”  He didn’t know why he pretended she could hear him, or hear what was going on Earth.  She had been missing for over 70 years now.  Most people already considered her dead.

His heart ached for her.  It was getting better. He didn’t think about her loss all the time anymore. Sometimes he could go a few days before the awareness would slam into him like a two-ton truck.  

“They changed the numbers...NCC now.  But it's still Enterprise.  I don’t think I’m going to make it to see it though.  Maybe Brwyn will.  I’ve seen the designs.” He could almost feel her next to him, rolling her eyes at his excitement.

He missed her.  It wasn’t the same without her, and this was the closest he would get to her.

“They want to give it to Pike. And Gwendolyne Chapel. She reminds me a bit of you.  Although she doesn’t have your sense of humor.”

 

* * *

 

 

**“In that case, I can’t imagine anyone I would rather be lost at sea with.”**

_Jack Griffith ‘Cedar Cove’_

(8/28)

“You know, if I had to be kidnapped with someone, I’m glad it was you.”

“Because we now have a miniscule chance of freeing ourselves before our first officers have to save our collective asses and therefore have ammunition for a decade of teasing?”

“Well, that and Trip and T’Pol both make terrible company when tied to them.  Trip is silent and tends to just glare at the walls, and T’Pol starts listing how it was my fault and exactly how.”

“I could do that, Love, if it wasn’t for the fact I’d rather concentrate on getting us free.  Screwdriver.”  He handed her the screwdriver.  It was an interesting role reversal that she was dealing with the mechanics.  Usually it would be his end of the chore, but given that she was trying to hotwire a comm unit, this was her realm of expertise.  “It was your fault.”

“It was not.”

“You didn’t have to tell the waiter that story.”

“It's a good story!”

“No, not really, especially when your UT is on the fritz and you, being ignorant of the language, called his mother a chicken leg.”

“They have chickens on Ulasia?”

“Apparently.  


	18. September '14 Prompts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Jon should have known better  
> 2\. Jon appreciates his wife

**“Great, now we’re felons.”**

_ Gallant ‘ER’ _

(9/13)

“C’mon, Jon.” AG said with a laugh still in his voice.  “You look like someone ran over your pet.”

“One. that’s a bad analogy.  Two, YOU GOT US ARRESTED.”  Jon rolled his eyes and walked towards the other side of the cell the two men were sent to. He frowned at the site of the man who was smiling dreamily at him, stopping and deciding standing on AG’s side was better then seeing what that man was thinking about.

“It was barely a reason to be arrested.  Besides, you are the one with a girlfriend. I’ll have to wait the whole twenty four hours.”

“That is if Erika doesn’t think I deserve the misery and doesn’t come.”

“Oh, she’ll come.  I don’t think Hernandez would miss a chance to see us behind bars.  She probably hasn’t come yet because she is looking for her camera.”  AG lay down on the wall bench, folding his arms behind his head.  He looked every bit the man who wasn’t sorry  for his actions.

Why did Jon think streaking through Flight training finals was a good idea?

 

* * *

 

**"I may not be able to understand what you say when you say it, but before you say it I can understand what you're going to say perfectly."**

_ Lucy 'I Love Lucy' _

_ (9/28) _

It still amazed him sometimes how easily his wife read him.  A simple look across the room and she would know he needed an escape.  She always seemed to know when he was hiding something, and when he needed someone to push him into making a decision that he had already made.

He was never as good reading her.  He rarely had to.  But it was a comforting thought that she always seemed to know what he wanted to say because often times enough he jumbled it all up when it came out of his mouth.  
  
He wondered if she knew how much he appreciated that.  


	19. February/March Prompts 2016

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon takes a tour of the Enterprise

Love of mine someday you will die   
And I’ll be close behind, I’ll follow you into the dark   
No blinding light, or tunnels to gates of white   
Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for a hint of a spark   
\-- **_”I Will Follow You Into The Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie_ **

(2/29)

He knew it was time.  He wasn’t sure how he knew, he just knew.  There was something in the air, something that gave him a sense of finality as he toured the new vessel, his great-grandson pushing his chair through the wide halls.

The 1701 was a beauty.  He imagined Trip, if he were still alive, would be in love with this ship.  He could hear the echos of his friends through the whole tour.  Trip’s prideful smirk when he toured the new Warp 8 engines, which could possibly reach 9 if pushed.  Could hear Malcolm’s sarcastic commentary as he toured the armory and security department.   T’Pol was with him, but he could see her echos in the young Vulcan who gave the tour.

He saw Travis in the way young officers walked by them with grins of excitement at what was in their future.  Hoshi’s echo was known by all, as she was one of the highlighted creators of the modern UT system.    He could hear Phlox shaking his head and wondering why these young medical officers relied so much on pills and medications and had no homeopathic methods.

It was like they were saying goodbye as he was being introduced to the ship.  However, it was when he was home, moving himself onto his bed that he really knew it was time.  She was waiting for him, and he could feel her there beside him, just waiting for him to join her.

He had lived a long and productive life. For the most part he had been happy.  But it was with joy that he opened his eyes to see her brown shining into his and her hand stretched out to help him stand.

They were together again, at last.

 

 

* * *

 

  
(There are no prompts filled for Jon/Erika in March)


	20. October Prompts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1\. First meetings  
> 2\. Trip points out some Truths, and Hoshi confirms.  
> 3\. AG wishes they would just get together already.

**“Then I wasn’t sure if you looked away or… but I remember I kept my**

**gaze at you until you glanced back, and I felt such a thrill in my chest.”**

_ Samson ‘The Deep’ _

(10/01)

 

Jon looked down at his now coffee drenched uniform and blinked before looking back up at the women in front of him.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, looking around for what he assumed would be napkins

“Its nothing,” he responded.  He had planned to throw that uniform in the wash when he got home anyway, and it was frozen coffee so it wasn’t like it was burning him.  

“I should have looked where I was going.  I was trying to figure out how the coffee stand could get language so wrong.”

“Language?”

“Yeah, they have the sizes in four or five languages, and apparently they mixed up the size for Large and Small in Vulcan.”

“Vulcan’s drink coffee?”

“Not usually - at least I don’t think so.”  She finally found the napkins handing them to him to mop up the mess.  “Although it's a plant based stimulant so maybe they do.” She smiled, and Jon forgot about the coffee.  She had a pretty smile.  AG was going to laugh about this, he knew it.  Jon being bowled over by a girl who dropped coffee on his lap sounded cliche and AG would find it hilarious.

And probably tell this story at their wedding.  If they had a wedding.  It would probably be best if he found out her name first.

“Well, thank you for the napkins, ah..”

“Oh!  Erika Hernandez, Communications,” she responded, holding on a hand.  Then she retracted it with an embarrassed chuckle as they realized his hands were filled with wet napkins.  

“Jon Archer, Pilot.”  He resisted the urge to ask her if she wanted to fly with him.  A bit too early to pull out the one liners there, Archer.    
  
“Nice to meet you, Archer.”

 

* * *

 

 

“What would be the next thing that challenges us, that makes us go farther and work harder.” 

**Jed ‘The West Wing’**

(10/2)

 

“You know eventually they’ll have to have family ships,”  Trip murmured drunkenly as he poured himself another bourbon.  “We’ll get so far out from Earth that regular trips home for leave wouldn’t make sense.  People will want their families with them.”

“I can’t imagine why,”  Malcolm added, not quite as drunk as Trip, but not putting in a bad showing.  “I would need therapy if my family on board.”

“So you are saying if Starfleet suddenly said you could have your wife and kids with you on long missions, you’d say no?”

“I don’t much see myself having a wife and kids, so it's a mute point.”

“Bullshit. I bet a certain someone popped into your head when I mentioned it.”

“I would.”  The two looked over at Jon who was looking at his drink thoughtfully.  “Except that would make the question of do I ask Erika to join me or do I join her?”

“Erika?”  Mal asked eyebrow raised. It was proof how much he had already during their boys night that he was so comfortable asking the Captain about his love life.

“Captain Hernandez.”

“Oh.  That explains a thing or two.”  Jon looked up at him.

“Like what?”

“Like that eye sex the two of you were having when she came on board.”

“Eye sex?  What are you on about?”

“You know that look T’Pol and Trip get that makes you wish you weren’t in the room?”

“Hey!”

“Yeah...”

“You had that same look with the Captain.”  

“T’Pol and I don’t have eye-sex.”

“Shut up, Trip, you do too. Mostly when you get sciency.”

“Well, that was worth coming here.”  They all looked up to find Hoshi standing with a large smile and a tray of hot coffee and finger foods.  “Chef thought you might want something to soak up the alcohol.”

“How much did you hear?”  Malcolm asked, his drunkenness seemingly gone, only the glazed look in his eyes reflecting that he was in fact drunk.

“Enough to know you guys talk more about your love lives then I do, and I love to gossip.”  She raised an eyebrow.  “And Captain, I think the challenge would be getting the person who decided to become the House Captain to not try and jump in.”  She turned to Trip. “You do in fact eye-sex the Subcommander, but not as often as Malcolm here seems to make it out to be.”  Then she turned an amused look to Malcolm.   “As for you, Lt. Reed, I wouldn’t mind seeing your parents on the ship.  Can your father even handle space travel?”  She leaned down and whispered something in his ear, causing him to sputter as he had been taking a drink.  Trip and Jon looked on curious but said nothing,

Hoshi put the tray down and turned to go.  “Don’t worry, boys, I won’t listen at the door.”

 

* * *

 

 

**“That was one time! You guys never forget anything.”**

Jake ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’

(10/5)

AG rolled his eyes as the group continued to laugh at Jon’s recollection of one of their exploits.  “It was one time, and if I remember correctly, you were the one who wrote “Penguin Hustler” on the Professor's door.”

“Tell me there are pictures,” Erika said from her spot next to Jon.  AG wondered if the two of them would ever stop beating around the bush and realise they were into each other.  It was starting to get maddening how good at avoiding the issue they were getting.

He and Ruby had a plan, but that was neither here nor there, and tonight was a night for celebration.  Along with Erika sat Veronica, the new engineer stray Jon had picked up - Tucker AG thought he remembered - and a few of the other pilots.

“Of course there was,”  Jon said, smiling down at Erika, obvious to everyone in the room except for the Communications specialist.  “But I made sure the burn the evidence.”

“And when he says burn, he means it.  He stole the footage and burned the chips involved.  Ended up cited for unauthorized bonfire on campus.”

“Worth it.”

“Definitely worth it,”  AG responded, sharing a smile with his friend.  They might have been at blows earlier in the week, but their arguments rarely lasted very long.  He clasped Jon’s shoulder as laughter began anew.  “And I made copies, so just give me the word, Rike and I’ll send them over.”

 

* * *

 

 

 


	21. October Prompts II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1\. AG has contingency plans  
> 2\. Teenagers don't change much in the future

**“Wait so let me just get this straight. You want this ‘giant twit’ to bail you out? I’m gonna need an apology.”**

_ Will ‘About A Boy’ _

 

"The irony," AG said with a laugh at Erika's none-too-happy face. "That I would be the one who has to come bail you out of jail."  She rolled her eyes and waited for the security officer to open the cell.  JOn was off world, currently the XO of a smaller warp 3 ship doing some trade route duty.  Veronica was secluded somewhere with her beau, and Erika knew that it would probably have to be life or death situation for Veronica to forgive her for the call.

She had gone down the list annoyed to realise that the majority of her friends and family were either off world or in no position to come get her.  Except AG.  She regretted not facing Veronica's rath when she heard the not-so subtle click of AG's camera. 

"Oh, this will be golden," AG said, continuing to laugh. "Blackmail for when the godchildren come around."

"Who says I'd make you Godfather to any of my kids?"

"Well, of course I'll be the Godfather.  Don't worry, Jon will more then enough on the slides that I will present. "

"Slides?"

"Yes, I think deserves a little touch of the outdated, don't you think?"

* * *

 

 

**“She found evidence of a new life form.”**

_ Samson ‘The Deep’ _

(10/28)

Erika sighed as she opened the door to her son’s bedroom.  HC had reached an age where doing as he was told was not something he was really into.  So telling her son to clean his room was a struggle.  It was almost like he was rebelling in his own way because as a child HC had always been rather neat.  Something he clearly had not gotten from his father.  But as soon as he hit the pre-teen years, suddenly the need to find a hamper for his clothes fled, and as she looked at the floor she spotted several dishes with what might possibly be life forms growing on them.

However, HC was off at camp, and Erika was going to attack the room like she had once attacked battle plans against the Romulans.  With determination and perhaps the utterance of a few words in various languages that she would not have liked her son to repeat.

That did not mean however she wasn’t tempted to find Phlox and have him examine the room for possible sentience.

 

* * *

 

 

 


	22. June 2016 Prompt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon has regrets

_ There's still a little bit of your ghost, your weakness _ _   
_ _ Still a little bit of your face I haven't kissed _ _   
_ _ You step a little closer each day _ _   
_ _ So I can't say what's going on _ __   
**\--”Cannonball” by Damien Rice**

 

(6/9)

  
  


His list of things he should have done with Erika while she was alive continued to grow.  He never grew out of the habit of wanting to tell her about his day, of needing her council.  Of wanting to see her face on his screen or hold her in his arms after a long day at the office.

He held on longer than anyone else, held onto the hope that maybe it had crashed, that maybe on some planet nearby they were stranded, but still alive.  But as the years passed by, and more and more of those planets were visited and charted, he knew he was holding onto false hope.

Still, he would think of all the things he would do if she show up.  How he would kiss her, hold her close to him.  How he would show her around the house he bought because he couldn’t stand living in their old place without her there.  Introduce her to his beagle swarm, as Malcolm had termed his attempts to breed beagles.

He’d introduce her to Nyota, one of Hoshi’s most talented communications students.  He’d take her to see the Academy gardens,  including the one where a memorial for her ship had been placed.    
  
But most of all he’d tell her he loved her, and that even knowing she was mostly likely dead wasn’t enough to get him to let go of that.


End file.
